Braden is accused of driving 88 mph in a 40-mph zone after leaving a party about 2:40 a.m. on Aug. 14, 2011. Andreaka Bell, 18, of La Porte, had been at the party but fell asleep in the back seat before Braden and another teen left, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Braden lost control of the car, hitting a pole and flipping. When it rolled over, Bell was killed, according to court records.

Outside court Friday, Braden's mother said the wreck was a tragic accident and her daughter should not be charged.

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"This whole thing has been blown out of proportion," said Cynthia Bienvenue. She said her daughter also was injured in the crash, including a traumatic brain injury.

Prosecutor Todd Keagle said in court that witnesses saw Braden playing a drinking game. The party ended when one of the teens at the party poured a beer on a friend's head, Keagle said.

Officers at the scene did not draw blood to test for intoxication.

Braden's mother said medical records from the crash proved her daughter was not drunk. Keagle did not comment on the records because of medical privacy laws.

If convicted of the second-degree felony, Braden faces up to 20 years in prison.

The victim's sister, Deandra Bell, fought to keep the case open and continued calling the police and the Harris County District Attorney's Office for months.

Her family is still waiting for justice, Bell said Friday.

"I just feel like it was unfair that we had to do all that, and still she could get less than 20 years," Bell said. "She needs enough punishment so that she knows she took someone's life - that this is real."